Hanover

Well a small town called Sehnde really.

So we arrived back in Germany as planned although very late - after midnight by the time we got to our hotel. Our original flights landed at a civilized hour but unfortunately the airline changed the time and so we weren't due to arrive back til 10.30pm but actually landed after 11pm. Way too late with kids. Zach was really good but very tired. Reuben slept on the plane and seemed to think that he was done for the night so I was wandering around the hotel lobby after 2am trying to get him to sleep. Finally made it to bed around 3am so needless to say we were all some way from our best on Monday morning. 

We headed back to the airport to see if our laptop had been returned. It hasn't yet but the guy who has it was due back on Tuesday so we are now very hopeful of seeing it again. 

We drove down to Sehnde - a small town around 20 minutes from Hanover where we will stay for the next 3 nights. We stopped on the way in Celle, a town with beautiful old half timbered buildings.

There was a lovely schloss which we would like to have looked around, but being Monday, of course everything is closed. We had a wander around, some lunch, an icecream and then headed to our new destination - a lovely little 2 bedroom apartment in a quiet suburb. Perfect. 

Making the fountains work with our feet

Tuesday was a big day for the boys. A trip to Autostadt in Wolfsburg around an hour away. It is the car collection centre and factory for Volkswagen but is now a huge centre with pavilions for VW, Porsche, Seat, Audi, etc (I can't remember them all - my car memory is limited to silver, red, blue...). A little slice of heaven for a car mad boy and his Dad.

Zach on the energy swing in the VW pavilion - he made enough energy to take a photo of himself

The Porsche pavilion on the right and the car towers on the left

Outside the Porsche pavilion

Two excited boys - probably the only time they'll get to sit in a Porsche!

In the Skoda pavilion

Trying an Audi out

Reuben in the Audi pavilion - the Audi spheres were used to access the interactive displays

Zach at driving school

Giant make-your-own icecream with whatever toppings you wanted

The littlest munchkin in the huge indoor play area

Easy for this boy to smile at the end of the day - the best day of his life, apparently!

Wednesday - the laptop had been handed in at Hamburg airport so we decided that Nick and Zach would get the train up and back today while Reuben and I explored Hanover. Reuben and I waved the two bigger boys off at Hanover Hauptbahnhof and then headed to tourist information outside. We decided to follow the 'Red Thread' around the city to see the sights. There is a painted red line and arrows (Roter Faden) which leads you around the sights of the city. 

Reuben and I setting out on our tour

Up to 80% of central Hanover was destroyed in airraids in 1943 but there are some restored parts as well as new and some which escaped bombing. Our tour took most of the morning including a stop for iced coffee as it was shaping up to be another hot day. 

After lunch, Reuben decided that the fountain looked too good to miss out on and so headed in. There seem to be pavement fountains (for want of a better phrase) in every town/city we visit and for a water-loving baby they are hard to resist. 

Meanwhile, the biggest boys had retrieved the laptop - woohoo - although there was a €20 service charge from the lost and found office. Ah well, even train tickets and a service charge are a lot cheaper than a new laptop. A change of clothes and Reuben and I hit the shops in the afternoon and then waited for the big boys at the station waving British flags. I think everyone thought we'd gone mad :)

Onwards tomorrow: Cologne.